The new plant in Iowa has created jobs for 30 people, building gearboxes and augurs for the growing US excavator market, with a handful of Gold Coast staff to also relocate to the US - including two engineering and fabrication specialists and the vice-president of sales Alan Wade.

The Yatala headquarters was expected to export sub-assembly components to the US operation, but Mr Taylor said it would also focus on "enormous growth prospects domestically in mining and infrastructure".